


Colour of Love

by CMDAK, Tsuyu



Category: James Bond (Craig movies), James Bond (Movies), James Bond - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2017-05-02
Packaged: 2018-10-26 23:25:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10796940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CMDAK/pseuds/CMDAK, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tsuyu/pseuds/Tsuyu
Summary: Q has a big secret. James is keen on inviting Q to a dinner while the boffin thinks it's all a jest. He'll reveal his biggest secret and will go home to have a decent weekend with his cat. Or so he thinks so.





	Colour of Love

**Author's Note:**

> We tried to make this one shorter. Well, shorter by our standards it seems. *sweats*
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.
> 
> p.s. we love comments!

Q felt like that day had lasted three days - R kindly leaned closer to him and whispered that it indeed had been three days and also that yes, he was thinking out loud again.

"You should go home," she went out to say, squeezing his shoulder.

"As soon as I am done with this," he muttered, patting the small metallic box before picking it up. "I heard Bond is back and you know how he is with new things."

"You shouldn't overdo it." R chided. She was an older woman who looked after Q like an older sister would.

"I must do it before he comes." Q rubbed at his face when the woman relented. "Just another hour and I'll be heading home."

"Think of the cat!" R sing sang.

"I have one of my security details in the building that I am not supposed to know about care of Turing," he shot back, clutching the box tightly to his chest.

"Poor man," R muttered, shaking her head. It was no secret that Q's cat only liked him and tolerated few of the many people that liked to hang around Q.

She followed Q with her eyes and resumed her typing. Q was the darling of MI6, everyone was looking after him, if he ate, if he slept even if he insisted he didn't need this strict supervision.

"Quartermaster, I think Bond is going to drop by!" She shouted after him and saw his shoulders drop.

"Can't you detain-"

"Just the Quartermaster I wanted to see," James said over him and Q couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"What do you want now, Bond?" Q almost sneered, quickly walking into his office and hiding the box under as many blueprints as he could, also placing his laptop on top of it - and if Turing was there, he would have placed him over everything as he was an excellent guard...cat.

"It's just my favourite Quartermaster, do I have a reason to visit him?" James slowly sat at the corner of the table and tried to look under the papers. Q slammed a big book over it and almost got James' fingers with it.

"I am the only Quartermaster MI6 has!"

James hummed, sitting down on the only other chair beside Q's that was in the overcrowded office. "Even if it had two, you'd still be my--"

"What do you want?" Q asked exasperatedly, running his hands through his hair. "I am tired and in no mood for your games, Bond."

"I had wanted to..." Bond suddenly stood and came closer to Q. "I think you have a smudge here." The blonde tried to reach and rub the dust off Q's eyebrow but the man visibly recoiled as if afraid to be touched.

"Yes, yes... powder... I've been busy doing repairs to the car YOU've wrecked." Q turned away for a moment, clearly looking for something. When he turned back he saw Bond already trying to pry he box he guarded so closely open.

"Bond, are you five?" Q demanded, snatching the box away from James.

"To be fair, the way you acted around it makes it impossible for a spy to resist it," James said nonchalantly, fixing in on Q's face. Quickly covering the exposed portion, Q decided to sacrifice the equipment for his secret.

"Not like you won't get to wreck it the next time you go out on the field," he murmured and placed the box on his desk in favour of grabbing his backpack. "Do try not to blow up my office when you start playing with it."

He dashed from his own office as soon as he grabbed his parka.

"See you around, Bond." Q closed the doors and prayed his office was still standing when he returned.

***

 James was standing in Q's office. As he was given free rein to dig around Quartermaster's desk he decided not to stop himself. Digging the box out of the paper covered desk James shook it and heard something rattle inside.

Maybe he shouldn't shake it as Q seemed worried about his office blowing up, what might be confused for his common sense whispered inside his mind, and he carefully put the box down on the ground, studying it. There was no visible keyhole or latches, but then again Q did love biometrics more than the boring old ways, so he needed to find the fingerprint pad. Q also liked sleek designs that were actually full of secrets, compartments and he was also a fan for the dramatic reveal so... James frowned, continuing to caress the top of the box. They were not actually meant to be used in the field either, so if he turned it with its bottom at him and he gently brushed his finger over the top side—

With a small 'click' a little piece popped back and revealed the fingerprint reader. And Q said that HE was the one who was costing the R&D a ton of money. Right. Because it was HE who wanted fancy boxes. That aside, he now needed to get the actual box open. Q had also mentioned that he believed that he would ruin whatever was inside in the field, so it means that he had access to this - or would eventually have access to it, although he was pretty sure Q would have worded that differently.

"Might as well try it," he muttered and just pushed his thumb against the pad, the red light flickering for a moment before turning green and another 'clicking' sound going off, the lid popping up slightly as it opened.

Up in the box on what looked like a satin pillow were nestled a pair of cufflinks. James carefully touched them. On the top cover of the box was a note attached. The double oh gently extracted the folded note and unfolded it.

In it, in Q's scrawny writing was a memo.

_'I know you're probably going to steal it anyway, I'm not supposed to have favourites but you should long now that you ARE my favourite. So this one is a late birthday gift. Happy birthday, James._

_P.s. Try not to drop them from higher than 3 meters, there might be a small boom.'_

 James folded the note and put it into his inner breast pocket. He looked down at the cufflinks and smiled. They were just his style. Sleek and simple at the same time while still holding a dark secret.

If he were less of a man and more of a bastard, he would flaunt this note in everyone's faces. If he were petty and cruel, he would shove it in Q's face the next time he claimed that he didn't care a single bit. But, he was none of that and he promised himself that he will try extra hard this time not to destroy the gift as fast as he did all the other equipment.

"Where did Q go off to?" He asked R, determined to at least verbally thank Q for the gift. The woman frowned and blinked slowly, as every boffin under the artificial lights did when they were pulled out of their own little world.

"I do hope he did not fall asleep in the bathroom again." Seeing James frown, R cleared her throat and focused back on her work. "Well, he has been working nonstop for about 74 hours so I wouldn't..." She trailed off and smiled because the agent was already disappearing through the doors.

"... I wouldn't be surprised." She finished more to herself than to anyone else listening.

James in the mean time was walking in a fast stride towards the bathrooms. He hoped R was right, as always, and even if it sounded not the tiny bit pleasing, he hoped Q was half asleep in the stalls waiting for someone to help him get home. He opened the doors to the spacious room and much to his surprise he found Q in front of the mirror busy trying to find something in his backpack, quietly muttering something to himself.

Bond only heard words 'find', 'cover' and 'quick'. He was tempted just for a moment to sneak up on him just because the way he yelped was funny - and because he had a strange sense of self-preservation in which he jumped towards the thing that scared him instead of away - but after 74 hours of work, a prank wasn't something that Q deserved. Instead, he cleared his throat and watched as Q's back instantly straightened and terrified eyes looked at him from the mirror. It was just a second because Q disappeared into a stall, obvious makeup kits falling to the ground in his haste, but James had still managed to see one RED eye instead of the usual dark green and a part of Q's face paler than any human being without a disease should be.

"I wanted to see if you'd be okay with me driving you home," he said in a normal voice, easily slipping into the role of someone who wasn't curious or who hand just seen something that he most definitely wasn't supposed to see.

He tried to remain calm but there was a foundation tube lying on the floor along with a palette of what looked like paint and which's name Bond actually didn't know nor even had any idea how it was called. He squatted down and gathered it all before coming to the closed stall and sliding it under the doors.

"I think you've dropped something in your haste." He looked at the pale hand sneaking out for a moment and grabbing the things before retreating back to the safety of the closed doors, not that James couldn't easily break it down, it was more of giving one privacy and space when it was needed instead of prying in.

"Um yes..." he heard Q from the other side even tho it was more muffled than it normally would. "If you could give me five minutes, I'd be most grateful."

"I'll wait in your office, okay?" James asked, not quite feeling okay with leaving someone who sounded like Q alone.

"Yes," was the shaky reply and after hesitating for a moment, James turned on his heel and left. He had a pretty good idea what Q had, but held back from Googling anything as he suspected Q would check to see if he did.

Q heard the doors close and wanted to hit his head into a stall wall.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." He muttered to himself. Now he had to go back to the Q branch even tho he said he's leaving for the evening. R will surely whoop his ass for this. Verbally, mind you. He looked down at the palette and the foundation Bond returned to him through the closed doors. He's sure the man was now probably googling what pale skin and red eyes were in terms of medical condition. He was sure the other man would look at him with disgust in his eyes. He looked at himself in the mirror and fixed all the things wrong. Putting on a contact back in was a bit tricky as his eyes were irritated from staring at the screen for such a long time but he had to do it before more people knew of his condition.

James sat quietly in Q's office, nose stuck in a random blueprint he found as that that seemed like something normal and he didn't want to tip anyone that something was wrong. He did hope that Q would really come back and not just run away. He wouldn’t push the subject or even bring it up and, again, he could act as if everything was normal.

Just as he was trying to understand if he was holding the blueprint correctly he heard the doors opened and his dishevelled Quartermaster came in. "Ready to go?" James asked while standing up. Q narrowed his eyes at him but nodded none the less.

James put down the blueprint and smiled at Q as he got up, holding the door open for him.

"Let me hold your bag."

"No," Q said coldly. "If you feel like joking, then-"

"Just trying to be nice," James said quickly, still holding the door open. "You look very tired. Maybe you should ask M for a few days off?" Q slouched even more and got out of the room, James following him more than a little confused. He knew Q liked to work and he was pretty sure the man had a laboratory at home, so why did he feel like he had kicked a puppy with his innocent suggestion?

"Q?" James walked briskly after the younger man. "Wait!" Boffin slowed his pace but continued onwards towards the lift. James managed to squeeze himself into the contraption just before the double doors closed. The brunette was standing next to the left wall, holding tightly onto the strap of his shoulder bag, looking straight into the wall in front of him. Looking closely at the younger man Bond saw the tension line around his eyes and his lips were pressed into a thin line.

Asking what he did wrong wasn't exactly an option. Q might say that he had eyes and saw his true self or that he entered the bathroom designated for boffins even though he was an agent. So, right now, taking shots in the dark was the only true option.

"I liked the gift you made me. I'll do my best not to destroy it." A nod, but no eye contact or mutters and the sadness was still as pronounced as before. "I didn't misplace anything in your office while I was waiting for you." This time, there was no response. "I do promise to do my best to listen to R if you do go on that medical leave." Q frowned and lowered his head even more. So the vacation suggestion was the issue.

"Q, I..." James wanted to continued but the head boffin interrupted him.

"You don't have to drive me home." A fleeting glance was all he got before the Quartermaster continued to look at the ground. "I must let you know that I'm quite independent. And I know how to use Oyster card."

"I never doubted that you couldn't do something as simple as that, Quartermaster," James started carefully. "I want to ensure that you get home safely and without having you to worry that someone might try to steal your laptop or your phone if you accidentally allow your body to rest for a bit after working for so many hours."

"I'll call a cab then." An easy solution for an easy problem, but James wasn't going to be robbed out of taking the man home.

"Okay, so I don't want you to waste your money or read that you got into an accident because the cab driver is horrible at driving." That got a snort out of Q. "I'm a horrible driver only when the situation calls it."

"Sure you are." Q gave another glance towards Bond. "If you so wish, I'll be the witness of your reckless everyday driving."

The lift stopped and the robotic woman's voice announced. "Ground floor." Q dashed first and when James wanted to ask if he knew where he was going Q just stopped at Bond's Aston.

"It's still without a scratch. How can this be?" Q looked at Bond amazed. James barely stopped from laughing at Q's surprise. He looked closely at the Quartermaster and saw that one of his eyebrows was still too much pale to the rest of him.

"Trying to imprint the picture of you shocked in a good way by something I did," James said when he noticed the glare he was receiving, moving around the car to hold the door open for Q. "The unscratched carriage awaits."

"I suspect you recently fixed it," Q accused, James taking extra long to get to his side when he saw that the younger man had opened the mirror on the passenger's side.

"Quartermaster, your words wound me so."

"I just know how things are with you, Bond." Q was fixing his hair while James finally sat into the driver's seat and put his hands on the steering wheel. Engine purred to life and it made Q smile. "And here I thought you just bought a new car that looked like the one I gave you." Q grinned at Bond. It was a long time ago since James had seen Q smile a sincere smile.

"Despite my actions in the field - put your seat belt on - " he'd hate himself if he found himself in the position of having to break suddenly and Q smashed his face against his dashboard, "I do my best not to destroy what you give me."

"I do admit that the car is one step to prove that," Q muttered, hesitating for a moment before touching the seat belt. He had rushed to fix his make up and he couldn't remember if what he had on his hand was applied properly. He'd leave a mark if-- "I do so hate these things as they tend to shock me whenever I touch them," he lied and took out a napkin from his pocket.

"Q, put the seatbelt on or we're not moving from this spot." James put on his own as a show of example. He looked at Q and noticed how the man touched the belt only using the napkin. "Much to your dismissal of how reckless I am, I'm not letting anyone dirty the interior." James grinned and the car hummed in agreement as they left the garage.

Q flinched, all traces of what little enjoyment he had disappearing instantly as he lowered his head again and made sure that he wasn't touching anything with his skin. And James mentally kicked himself because it was obvious that wasn't a joke to make with someone who was covered from head to toe in makeup and who had just used a napkin to buckle up.

"Do you want me to stop somewhere so you can get something to eat?" He asked, almost out of desperation to get Q to stop thinking than anything else.

"No. Just take me home."

"Are you sure?" James stopped at the traffic light and looked at Q who was busy gripping the belt. "You look as if wind could blow you away." James started driving as the behind them started honking.

"I'm definitely sure I must get home as soon as possible." Q still refused to look at James.

A pedestrian made them stop at non marked crossing and James used it as another tactic to talk to Q.

"Can you tell me what wrong have I done so I could fix it? And why wouldn't you look at me, Q?" He tried to touch the other man's hand which was resting on Q's tight but that made Q flinch again.

"Don't touch me," Q hissed and pushed against the door of the car, only to flinch away when he accidentally touched the window with the side of his face. "I'll pay for the cleaning," he breathed out and then began to try and open the door.

"Don't worry about-- Q, what are you doing?" James asked, trying to grab his hand and still him, only go get a sharp slap.

"I said not to touch me! And open the door," he demanded, now trying to push the door open. "Open the bloody doors." Q shouted at the blonde again.

"You know I can not do it. It's a busy street and someone..." a Lamborghini zoomed by them, it's engine roaring and making people around jump. "Someone could actually hit you, and I don't want you with a broken leg on top of my consciousness. On top of this..." James waved his hand around, gripping the steering wheel as Q was about to trash again. "Stop this lashing out, or I might land us in an accident. And you don't want to get in an accident." Q hunched up again at the mention of car accidents and possibility of hospitals.

"Just, stop at the next subway station and let me get out," Q said in a weak voice, hands fisted in his lap.

James sighed and stopped himself for reaching out to grasp Q's hand. "I really won't as you are very distraught right now and I really don't want you hurt."

A moment of silence that was broken by something that sounded like a whimper and if he actually managed to get a grown man that was Quartermaster for a spy agency to cry, James was going to hit his head against the nearest wall. "Q, are you okay?"

"I'm not." There was a whisper and when James tried to stop the car and look over him, Q added. "Just drive and I'll tell you all you want to know." James concentrated on the road and he saw, out of corner of his eye he saw Q brushing away angrily at his face and he saw smudges of dark brown and black smear the top of his hand.

"I'm a freak."

"Q..." James started.

"Don't interrupt me." Q hissed. "I'm albino and if you saw me how I really am, you'd understand."

"That's ridiculous, Q." He slowed down and intentionally caught a red light so he could turn and face him. "I know I seem superficial, but I thought you'd know me better."

Q turned an icy glare at him. "I am sorry if I dared to insult you." The way he said it made it clear that he wasn't. "How dare I assume the same of you, who only has the best of the best warm his bed, right? How dare I assume that you'd react the exact same way everyone who actually saw me did, right?"

"Q, I have no idea..." James started but was once again silenced.

"I asked you not to interrupt me!" He almost cringed at how Q screeched at him. He saw the young man look for something in his bag and suddenly whipping at his face while looking at the passenger mirror. Another moment later he added. "Look at me now and tell me you don't understand what I'm talking about." James threw him a glance and almost flinched. Q looked as white as a sheet of paper. Even his eyebrows were barely visible. Q saw him cringe and tried to pry the passenger doors open. "Open the bloody doors."

"No." He leaned over and grabbed Q's hand, carefully studying his face. "I am surprised, but not horrified or disgusted like you think."

"Open the bloody doors," Q hissed again, trying to dig his nails in Bond's hand.

"We're almost at you house," James insisted, ignoring the way the car's around him were honking at him to start moving again. "It's still you; whiter, but still you and you can never make me feel sick, understand?"

"Whiter?" Q hissed. "You clearly don't understand what you're saying." He tried to open the doors. "I'll scream if you don't let me out!"

"Quartermaster, I think you forgot that you made this car yourself. It's soundproof." James released his hand and revived the engine, showing a honking driver two finger salute and finally driving off.

"Just, please... leave me alone!" Q whispered again.

"I'm just taking you home."

"You're kidnapping me." He eyed the side of Bond's face, going over all the safety features he had installed to see if he'd live through a crash.

"We're a few minutes away from, again, your house so I not kidnapping you." It was amazing how someone so composed lost every bit of control he had of himself just because the true colour of his skin was seen. It made James hate the world even more than he already did.

It made James realise that maybe, just maybe Q had experienced the uglier side of the world more than he had imagined. They finally stopped at the apartment block where Q lived. "We're here."

"Great, lovely," Q murmured, sighing in relief when the car door opened. "Don't tell anyone and don't you dare use it against me to get more things from your Quartermaster." He slammed the door shut before James could even exhale, disappearing in the building.

"Q..." James reached after him but his hand grasped empty air. "Stupid, stupid. I had to talk to him instead of antagonising him." James slapped his forehead. He tried to grab the gearstick but his hand instead touched leather. James looked down and saw Q's bag.

This was a second chance if he ever saw one. A perfect second chance because Q obviously needed to be comforted. Now if the door was going to be slammed in his face after the bag was recovered... Well, he'll cross that bridge when he had to. It dawned on him that he didn't know on what floor Q lived or what his alias was only when he was greeted by the doorman's arched eyebrow.

"I'm looking for a friend who forgot something in my car."

"Name?"

Why couldn't things be easy? "I must admit that I've called him by his nickname, but he's tall, dark brown hair, and ran in here a few minutes ago, cussing." The man frowned and turned to his paper.

"We do not have anyone like that here. Please vacate the premises before I call the cops."

"Please, you don't understand. He's frustrated and annoyed and I'm sure he needs some comfort." James even waved the bag Q had left in the car.

The guard narrowed his eyes. "Now this looks like a bag Mr. Quintessential carries around. I'll let you in but I'll be watching you on the CCTV! One wrong move and you'll be arrested." The man stabbed James in the chest. "Top floor, cherry oak doors. No, this apartment block doesn't have assigned numbers of flats."

James nodded his thanks and started to abuse the elevator button, the name Q was using only dawning on him when he was on the third floor. He snorted and came up with a few jokes on the spot without trying before remembering how upset and hurt the quintessential man in his life was. He sighed and rested his head against the cold elevator doors, cursing his brain for coming up with nothing in regards to the Albino man, almost falling on his face when they opened.

On the other side, waiting for the lift to come up was an old man. He had a walking stick which he suddenly was poking at Bond's chest.

"Who are you?" The man insisted.

"I... Bond. James Bond. I'm here to return Q's bag." Bond put it in front of himself, actually using it as a shield.

"Q, you say?" The man narrowed his eyes.

"Tall, lanky man, with dark brown hair..." James trailed off, frowning. He knew where Q's apartment was so why was he talking with the man?

"Excuse me." But the old man moved to block his way.

"How did you sneak up here? The doorman doesn't usually slack off."

"The doorman let me up." James confessed. "I have a bag which my friend left in the car. I came up to return it to him." James waved the bag again.

The old man was in his face. "Q never forgets any of his stuff around."

In how much trouble would he get for hitting an old man with a bag over the head? "And yet, I am holding his bag, am I not?" The man frowned and took out a second pair of glasses before starting to examine the evidence.

"It does look like it," he muttered, turning his full glare to James - that or he was trying to see him better, James wasn't sure. "What did you do to make him forget it?"

"Nothing, I swear to god, it was just a small misunderstanding." James raised his hands in the air.

"Q never forgets this bag!" The man still waved his hand with the glasses still in it. James swore the man was trying to poke his eye out. Suddenly doors to their left opened and an older woman came out.

"Major Dalton, please leave this man alone. None of your conspiracy theories are right!"

"He has Q's bag so he I have to be right," he insisted, the old woman carefully placing her arms around his back and guiding him towards the elevator.

"Please ignore him," the woman said as the doors closed behind them, drowning out the old man's angry grumbling and accusations. Happy to be rid of something that was probably proof that karma was real and fast, James slowly made his way to Q's apartment and knocked on the door with only a moment's hesitation.

He stood waiting for Q to open the doors. As no one opened, he knocked again. This time he heard a crash and a curse on the other side.

"Q, it's just me. You forgot your bag and I... it seemed important to you... the way you..." James was leaning on the doors and suddenly it opened and he stumbled inside.

"You can leave it on the floor and then leave," muttered Q, a towel wrapped around his hair, a hand hidden inside his bathrobe and one eye closed.

"I really can't just leave you after giving you the impression that I would be that cruel, Q."

"What do you want, Bond?" Q narrowed his eyes at him and the blonde noticed how white his eyelashes were. He could barely see them.

"I've told you. I don't want you to think me as insensitive. And I think you belittle me." James looked around and saw a white cat veering between Q's legs. His extra pale legs.

"Stop ogling me." Q started. "I'm sure you wouldn't like anything about me!"

"I like your puns," James stated, turning to look him dead in the eye. "I like how smart you are and I like how caring of all your agents."

"Okay, so you're not an arse, satisfied?" Q made to stomp his leg, but the cat mewled and stopped him. "Daddy's a bit upset darling, don't worry," he said softly and picked up the cat.

"You're also nice with animals," James added, moving closer to him. "So what if you are a polar fox?"

That made Q laugh and then the towel on his head unfolded and dropped to the floor. James looked at the towel first, it looked dirty, brown in colour. He then raised his head and saw horror on Q's face. He was trying to cover his hair but it was a failure before it started. James looked closely at the man. His hair was still the same fluffy mane. But now... now it looked more transparent in its whiteness. He saw Q grasping at his own hair. He grabbed boffin's hands.

"Q, stop. Please stop before you tear your hair off."

"Close your eyes right now!" Q demanded in a shaky voice, both eyes wide so James saw the how red the one he had kept closed was.

"I can't," James muttered. "Q, you are still beautiful," he added carefully and pulled him to his chest, hugging him tightly. "Your hair is soft and it smells nice, your skin is velvety, and your eyes are pretty. What I think of you hasn't changed at all. Well, maybe my need to protect you increased a little." He thought for a moment, frowning. "And my need to shoot someone, so if you could give me a list with the names of everyone who made you feel like this?"

"You do not understand." Q shook his head against the agent's chest. "All and every one who's seen me, how 'nature' has created me, they all had cringed." He took a deep breath. "It's been said because of the red eye that I have." He squirmed away from James' embrace and looked at the older man with only his jade eye open.

"To be honest Q, the only thing I can call you now is a pirate." James motioned towards Q's face. "But that must be because of one eyed look you're trying to pull off."

Q laughed, but it wasn't his normal laughter. It was a pained one and it only made James want to hug him tighter. "You're just being nice to me because I am that one 'exotic thing' you haven't played with yet."

James clicked his tongue, moving back a little to cup Q's chin. "Really, Q, I don't consider you a freak. It's just a condition and you know I don't judge unless I am faced with a psychopathic person who has a convoluted plan to either destroy the world or get richer than they already are."

Q tried to turn his head away when James forced him to look the other man in the eye. "Now open your eye as there is no need to hide from me, I already have caught a glimpse of it being red." James smiled in what he at least hoped was an encouraging smile.

"I must warn you, that I won't sleep with you even if you are the only man left on Earth. I had too many of those, trying to bed me using silly pretences for which I've fallen in my younger days." Q opened both of his eyes, just as he normally would and waited.

James' smile turned soft. "That's the same thing you told me when we got lost in the Alps and we had to share body--" Something clicked in his mind and he formed the letter 'o' with his lips. "I understand now why you sent me out of our little hole in the ground when we heard the search party and why you wouldn't let anyone come in to check up on you."

"Why are you still here?" Q asked, but James got the feeling that he wanted to ask why he wasn't either running away from him or cussing him.

"Why wouldn't I be here?" James looked at him. "You're really an extraordinary man but sometimes fail to see it yourself." Before Q started another rant he put his tanned finger on Q's just very light pink ones. "Shhh... for the last time, I do not want to bed you if that is your only worry." James moved away by an outstretched arm length and looked at Q again. "I was actually hopeful enough to ask you out to dinner."

"No," Q said shortly, picking up the towel from the floor. "Thank you for giving me a lift home and appearing to be so understanding. I'll also insist that you do not reveal this to anyone-"

"Of course I won't," James interrupted him, already coming up with plans to prove to the other that he deserved a chance.

Q snorted. "Right; the freak turned the office Casanova down and the hurt feelings won't result in him attempting to embarrass the walking piece of wall."

"Q, please stop talking yourself down." James tried to come closer and hug the man but inconveniently enough there was now a table between them.

"What do you want me to say?" Q grabbed his cat which was actually coming closer to the spy, the traitor. "That I will graciously accept your offer to have dinner which will actually require me to get dressed and don up so you can take me out to some posh restaurant and then later drop me by my flat and then casually ask for coffee? I don't have any coffee at home, by the way."

"I know that you dislike coffee, Q. I am the only agent who can make the tea as you like it," James pointed out rather proud of himself. "Yes and whenever you make me that tea, you ASK something of me." The cat jumped out if his arms to the table, looking like he was getting ready to attack James. "I hadn't realized that," James admitted. "But I am a good cook so I can either have you over in your comfiest outfit and come over to cook for you."

"And then we'd get right into bed, right? Sneak a few pictures after you’re done and-"

"I'll murder whoever did that," James growled, scaring the cat.

"It didn't happen," Q said quickly, touching James' hand before the man could reach for his weapon. "I heard the person I foolishly trusted before it happened, but that didn't mean it couldn't happen now."

"I'm sure you'd make me get rid of all the technological devices before you'd let me in your bed." James said before he thought about it and he wanted to smack himself instantly.

"Ah ha... So you admit to it!? You want to get into bed with me." Q pointed at him.

"Q, please stop with the conspiracy theories before I start thinking that you are a virgin with all of the talks." James came round the table to Q. "I have this mighty need where I need to kiss you."

Q's cheeks burned. "And I have a might need to throw water over you and zap you to get the point across." He placed his hands on his hips, frowning. "You have never expressed the need to dine me or bed me until you found out about my condition."

"I strongly hinted at it," James murmured, backing away from Q. "I thought you were pretending not to get it."

"Pretended not to get it? The biggest Casanova of the modern days tries to bribe me with trinkets from all over the world and I am supposed to think you are interested in geeky me?" Q looked like he was going to go on another rant again so Bond did what he did best. He didn't think and he leaned in, grabbed the man around his waist and kissed him. Whatever it was that Q wanted to say was muffled by their kiss and James was actually having the time of his life, if he ever admitted it out loud. Q's lips were very soft and the tiny gasp he let out was so precious.

Q wrapped his arms around James' neck, deepening the kiss. It had been so long since he had so much as a peck and to now find himself on the receiving end of a French kiss? He'd slap James later and cling to his denial of needing human touch after he was done imprinting the man's taste. For his part, James was careful where he placed his hands. He had pushed the envelope quite a bit with the kiss and he didn't want to cross an actual boundary.

It was a few precious moments which Q will remember forever. Still, one had to admit that Bond was one fine kisser. He had to give him credit where the credit was due. Q put his hands on Bond's chest and slowly pushed. He actually thought he'll have to use more force to make the man stop but the other stopped at once even tho he tried to chase Q's lips. Q's laugh at his actions was melodious.

Bond licked his lips. "Now, you taste divinely." He looked at the man who had his eyes closed now. "So how about that dinner?"

"Do you think you can kiss me once and I'll agree to anything?"

"Well, I can kiss you twice and hope for the best." James grinned toothily.

Q turned his head to the side, holding his hands in front of himself. "I'd rather you didn't." Because he already felt the need to slouch and put something that covered his lower half between them.

"Then I can hope for the best with the first kiss," James joked, taking a step back. "Just one dinner, on your terms. We can have it in the middle of MI6, with armed guards behind you if you want, although I did train them all." Q snorted. It had been a punishment from M, the man hoping that Bond would learn how to properly work in a team and not dump his CIA partners in holes in the ground while he went on ahead to complete a very dangerous mission, but the whole thing backfired when Bond looked like he had the time of his life.

But the man seemed to be dead on serious with taking him out to dinner. "Very well, there is this small cafe close to Holborn station. Called Seoul bakery, I think is the name." Q thought deeply. "We can meet there tomorrow, at 14:00."

Early for dinner and he doubted that they'd get anything of substance to eat from a cafe, but if Q wanted to go there... "Should I pick you up from anywhere or will we meet there directly?" He mentally crossed his fingers.

"We'll meet there directly." So much for that working. "We don't want anyone getting the wrong idea, now would we?"

"And what would be the wrong idea?" James probed as casually as he could.

"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Q crossed his arms. "Leave now, Bond. There are things that I have to do." To cry myself to sleep is among the repertoire, he thought to himself.

"I'll see you at the bakery, Q." James tried to come closer and kiss the other man again but he just stepped back and James being the Casanova that he was actually understood when his act was not wanted.

"Sure you will," Q said in a way that didn't strike James as confident. Did he plan on not showing up? Not likely as Q didn't strike him as someone who'd set up a date and stand the person up - then again, James wondered on how many dates the younger man had been on. No, going by how he had reacted after his secret was out, he thought he would be the one who wouldn't show up.

"Miss Moneypenny, I need you to do me a few favours," he whispered in his phone after he got out the elevator, nodding towards the glaring doorman.

***

 It took Q a few hours to get ready. He didn't want to be seen as Bond has seen him that time at home. Bond actually was the first man who's seen him as he is besides his parents and his first boyfriend when he was 15. 'Not that it ended up well.'

"Darling, please stop, daddy has to go now, but I promise to be back soon. I'm sure it won't take him long to start hinting at sex again." Q petted the cat which was once again sitting at the table next to the doors.

But that seemed to make the cat even angrier, his furry darling lying down in front of the door and stretching as much as he could, even digging his claws in the door's sides.

"Really now, darling. I can't be the rude one. Daddy can't make his point if he's not there, now can he?" The cat didn't move, but it wasn't hard to open the door and slip out.

He barely managed to close the doors before his cat followed behind him. It was too overprotective of him sometimes. He nodded at the doorman.

"I hope you show that man to grow a pair of balls." The man mentioned to him. Q just nodded at him and exited the apartment block. He caught a train to Holborn and went outside. It was such a lovely day today.

He was surprised to find James already waiting outside for him, the man looking out of place in what appeared to be one of his best suits, looking around confused.

"You're in the right place," Q called and James turned to greet him with a huge smile.

"I did my research on this place last night, but it does look different when you see it for yourself." He held out his arm for Q to take.

Q looked at the offered arm and shook his head. "There is no space enough for that in there."

He opened the doors and went in. The interior still made Bond cringe. Cheesy Kpop music and squealing kids annoyed him but he had to endure this for Q.

"So what would you recommend for lunch here?" He asked Q instead.

Q shrugged. "I usually that the day speciality and a nice cup of tea." He sat down in the darkest corner, pushing his glasses off to rub his eyes. "You might enjoy it as well, although I admit being sure you wouldn't show up so the food might not be up to your standards."

Careful not to be too obvious about brushing their shoulders together when he sat down, James picked up a menu. "I was in the Navy, you know. Food doesn't have to be expensive for me to like it. Just good enough not to make me want to cut off my tongue."

He leafed through the menu and looked up confused at Q. "Pst... pst... Q, what am I supposed to order? I still don't speak fluent Korean." He hissed at Q, looking for help.

The other man laughed, surprised. "Anything here is good. Especially if you like spicy food."

"Could you order for me then?" James looked at Q hopefully just as a couple of teens sat next to them.

Q turned his attention back to the menu, humming. "How spicy do you like your food?"

"Alcohol dulled my senses do as hot as possible," James said honestly and Q looked up at him with a tinge of sadness.

"I stopped. A long time ago actually, but my taste was still affected."

Q nodded at James' remark and talked to the waitress in fluent Korean. "Your order has been placed."

"And what about yours?"

"Like I said, I always take the daily special and they know that." He fished out his phone from his pocket and started to type something, avoiding looking at James.

"I had no idea that you knew Korean." He had no idea about lots of things related to Q and he planned on becoming an expert on the man.

"You don't know a lot about me." Q smiled, still typing at his phone.

"That is quite true but maybe that can change?" Bond looked down at the bowl that was brought in for him suspiciously.

"Highly doubtful." Q replied.

"You don't mind if I try though, right?" The typing stopped and Q turned his eyes towards him.

"You aren't... pushing it just yet, but I am sure you will do so soon. We both know why you want to get to know me in the first place."

"What you know and what I know are different things and I will prove to you that you have the wrong idea about it." He took a spoonful of the soup and he loved it. "You also have good taste in Korean food."

Q blushed prettily. James was determined to make him blush a lot more. "I always liked Korean food." Q resumed his typing on the phone.

"Aren't you going to eat that?" James poked his food with the chopsticks.

"Of course not, you asked me to come to eat with you. That means you eat and I just do what I want to do." Q smirked at James' dumbfounded expression.

"At movies," James started slowly, making sure to get a bit of sauce on the corner of his mouth so he would have an excuse to slowly luck his lips, "people usually nibble on some popcorn." Q arched his eyebrow and James wondered how early the man woke up to colour everything so perfectly.

"I consider my tea to be popcorn. Plus, I ate before I left home."

"What do I have to do in order for you to eat in my company?" James inquired after he was done with his bibimbap.

Q narrowed his eyes at him and pushed the cup of tea to the blonde man. "Drink your tea and don't ask silly questions."

James narrowed his eyes as he looked at the cup. "I am not one for tea." Q shrugged and pulled the cup back in front of him, signalling over the waitress and asking her something in Korean to which she shook her head. "You are out of luck. They don't have coffee today."

James eyed the mug with what looked like some goo was floating inside. "If it's really as good as you say..."

"It's the best." Q nodded slowly at him, suddenly unsure of himself.

"Let me sip it then." James grabbed the mug before Q could argue and sipped it. Q smiled when he saw the man's eyebrows rise.

"Well?" Q prompted when James remained a mute. "Should I call the ambulance for you?"

James flashed him a smile, taking a sip again. "You had this type of tea somewhere in your office, didn't you?" Q frowned.

"When I kissed you-" Q got up.

"Enjoy the rest of your afternoon, Bond."

"Q, wait..." He tried to go after the other man but the waitresses started waving a menu after him and speak rapidly. "I don't understand what you're saying." He tried to reason with her.

"If you break his heart, I will stuff this spoon where it'll be very uncomfortable for you, mister." The woman huffed at him and left.

He tried to run after the man as fast as he could but the bloody tourists and these masses of people on a Friday afternoon made it quite difficult, and not to mention all those never ending constructions near Tottenham court road which seemed to never end.

"God damn it!" Bond cursed. He was a spy but without Q in his ear giving him directions he lost the man in a few precious moments.

He had to apply logic. It was Q's day off and he had put way too much effort in his makeup to just go home after James opened his big mouth, so going to his apartment was out of the question - not to mention creepy. So where did he go? A museum, Bond guessed since he saw the many museum tickets and pamphlets strewn around his office. But which one?

He exited the cafe and went to the closest tourist, quite forgetful, you could say as he had the latest smartphone from the Q branch.

"Tell me where is the closest museum?" He demanded the frightened Asian couple. But they just looked weirdly at him. "Mu-se-um???" The woman just outstretched her hand towards him.

He first looked down at his shirt and then behind him, nodding his thanks as he quickly made his way to the two museums - cartoon and an actual one. Q would definitely go for the normal one, he thought, and turned on his charm to the max to get whoever was behind the counter to tell him if Q had indeed gone in. The woman batted her eyelashes at him, giggled and flirted back, revealing that she had no idea if such a man came in.

"I'm looking at the money, honey, not at what they're wearing or how they look. Although in your case..." She trailed off and chuckled, leaning closer to him.

Bond took a step back from her. "I guess this is my time to leave, then." The woman groaned and waved cheerfully at him.

"If you decide to come back, tho." She winked at him. It seems it was time to check the cartoon museum.

Small chance, but a chance was better than nothing. He walked up to the ticket booth and adopted his friendly self, Q walking by him before he could return the cashier's greeting. "Changed my mind," he muttered and held back from grabbing Q. "I promise to do my best not to think about our kiss."

"Bond, what are you doing here?" Q hissed. He looked frightened and that worried Bond. Why was the man, who was so sure of himself at work, was lacking self-esteem in the wider world.

"I wanted to talk to you." Bond strode next to Q.

"No, you wanted to get into my pants," Q corrected him, refusing to look him in the eyes. "It's not going to happen, so move on." James was tempted for a moment to correct Q back, to tell him that this wasn't about him being in his pants and that he planned on getting him in his life. But he was sure that Q would find a way to twist everything into something that sounded horrible, so he held back.

"This is an interesting museum. I thought you'd be in the other one, but now that I think about it, our first meeting was in front of a ship cartoon."

"I'd let you know that Turner is one of my favourite painters of all time. Along with da Vinci." Q continued to stroll down the road, weirdly enough easily evading all the tourists and other pedestrians while James had to struggle to keep up with him.

"Q, I'm sorry. I'm sorry how I always try to talk to you and get to know you but it always comes out wrong and I should just probably stuff my foot in my mouth and be done with it."

Q snorted. "That won't work on me, Bond."

"What won't work?" James honestly asked, grabbing Q's hand after the fifth time he had almost walked into a wall.

Flinching, Q stopped suddenly. "The whole innocent act, Bond." He glanced around and moved closer to him, lowering his voice. "You just want an albino notch in your bedpost and I shan't be it."

"Q, can you please stop it for a moment. I do not want an albino notch," Bond hissed. "On my bedpost. I don't want to fall in bed with you if you won't want it too. But I want to try and woo you." He smiled and tried to caress Q's arm which made Q flinch even more. "And I also want to kill everyone who made you afraid of simple human contact."

"Every time you do that, some of my makeup washes up," Q hissed at him, glaring at him until his hand was released. "And again, up until you found out about what I am, you did not hit on me." James arched his eyebrow. "Or at least, not so openly."

"Well, maybe because I always thought you aren't interested in me." James looked at the ground. "After all, I'm a grand old war ship, being ignominiously hauled away to scrap." He remembered the quote to the letter and he thought that Q thought him too old.

"Is that the great Casanova of modern days feeling insecure?" Q asked with genuine curiosity in his voice.

James sighed. "You dismiss my gifts, you find my presence irritating--"

"Because you make sure you irritate me when you're next to me," Q interrupted him. "Don't tell me you never grew up and you still act like a little boy in the sandbox, pulling the pigtails of the girl you like because you never act like that around anyone that has your interest." Maybe because they don't? Okay, so he 'fell in love' about twice a mission, but he always felt like he settled and only went after them when it seemed that Q turned him down. And yes, by all accounts, Q had turned him down about 4 or 5 times in the last 24 hours, but he was still pushing because Q had the wrong idea about him.

"Well, you do focus on ME when that happens."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Q stopped at the crossroad because the traffic was too intense and he was ready to step into the street when Bond grabbed him by his arm again. He turned round to snap at the man and suddenly felt a whoosh of air hitting his face.

"At least once I saved you instead of vice versa." James tried to joke but at the fright in Q's eyes he just hugged the man close. "You're alright, aren't you? They didn't hit you, yes?" He started ghosting over Q just to check him over.

Q pushed against him and hugged him tightly, his shivering getting worse. "N-no," he stuttered. "I mean, I am okay, but..." He trailed off, suddenly pulling his face away from James' chest. "Send me the bill-"

"Q, I don't care about a bloody suit as long as it doesn't have your blood on it," James interrupted him, pushing his face back in his chest and walking with him at the nearest bench.

"I... I am fine." Q's voice was shaky and Bond saw his hands shake.

"Q, what has to happen for you to believe that I'm dead serious with my intentions towards you." James looked the man in the eye clearly.

"I... no one has ever..." Q coughed.

James gently rubbed his back. "At least give me a chance and let me prove myself to you, Q. We are actual adults and I would never try to use you. I know how that feels, I am a spy. I know how hard and unfair it is to use people and sometimes, when I HAVE to do that in the field, I feel bad. But we are not in the field."

Q lowered his head a bit, fixing a spot in his suit. "I will try," he murmured after a moment, "but you'll get bored and tired and when you'll fully see me, you'll--"

"Kiss every part of your body and hold you tight."

Q just shook his head. "You just say that now. Even my parents..." he snapped his mouth shut before he could say anything incriminating.

"Oh Q..." James wanted to caress his cheek but stopped himself before he smudged the man's make up. "Can I kiss you instead?" Q was tracing the pattern of Bond's lapel.

"If you so wish to." He raised his head slightly and puckered his lips. Bond laughed and leaned in and kissed him soundly.

Q was a statue at first, but James pressed on and the man kissed him back, eyes closed, arms tightly wrapped around his neck. When they finally broke the kiss, Q was still moving his lips a little and James leaned forward so that their foreheads touched. "Do you mind if we try the whole dinner thing later today?"

"At a decent white tie restaurant?" Q looked up at James, still a bit dazed from intense kissing. "Well," James grinned. "It can be a black tie one or anything you want, actually."

"But I'm still not inviting you back for coffee at mine's." Q frowned a bit.

"Yes, I remember, you don't own any coffee at home. But I don't mind." James smiled. "As long as I can get to kiss you at the end of the dinner."

***

Q never thought that he'd get to know what a good make out session was. He never thought he'd get to share his day over a cup of hot tea with someone who knew what he was and who still accepted him and made him feel loved. He also never thought that that person would be James Bond, but he learned that the world was full of surprises. But as their kisses grew more intense and their hands wandered under articles of clothing, Q started to worry and fret. He hadn't let James see him without make up since that day and he was afraid because he wanted more and he was sure that the same could be said for James if he were to go by what pocked him in the stomach every now and then.

"James," Q moved away from the insistent lips that were now nipping at his neck instead of his lips.

"Q..." James continued his ministrations.

"Can you... oh god... pleases stop for a moment." Q fretted again. This is going to be the day the blonde man left him, he was sure of that.

"What is it? What's wrong?" James looked worriedly at him. "Have I crossed the line?"

"N-nothing. Let's just stop here for now," Q stuttered, head lowered, pillow in his lap. James kissed the top of his head, squeezing his knee.

"I'll take a quick shower. You're welcome to take one after me if you want." Q always brought his make up bags with him and his own towels, despite James insisting that there was no need and that he didn't mind needing to wash a ton of make up out of his own towels. "I'll order us some food after I'm done."

"I don't think I need one." Q blushed deeply. James just ruffled his hair and retreated to the bathroom. He admitted that he was becoming quite best friends with his hand again as he did back when he was a teen but he was sure Q was more than worth the effort. After hearing the door shut Q groaned again and pressed at his crotch insistently. "Come on... Imagine M and prime minister, naked, licking each other..." He scrunched up his nose. "Well that was gross." He realized James will want to sleep with him at one point or another and Q was reluctant to admit to James that he was a virgin, the older man dealt with too many of his insecurities as it was.

"I think I'll go," Q called out and James was out of the bathroom instantly, dripping water all over the floor, no towel to cover him up - and that sight made the image of M getting it on with anyone completely useless. "You'll catch a cold if you stay like this," he muttered, turning his head to the side.

"I DID cross a boundary," James said instead, kneeling before Q. "I promise-"

"You didn't," Q interrupted him, covering James' mouth. "I just remembered that I need to finish a presentation for Monday. If I fail this, I might as well start selling my internal organs because it's to explain WHY my department is a black hole when it comes to money."

"Q... The budget meeting was last week." James started. "You got them all approved.”

"I have to go. I'm sorry.” Q just grabbed his backpack and dashed out slamming the doors loudly behind himself. James sat on his cafe table and carded his fingers through his short wet hair, he could hear the water still running in the shower.

"I knew it I shouldn't have ran out naked. I must have scared him."

***

 "M, can we meet?"

"Quartermaster, I hope you know what time it is?" The older woman snapped at the young man. The courage of him to call at 1 am.

"Um... No, actually." Q's voice trembled. "But I really need to talk to you. I need an advice and have no one else to ask." He took a deep breath. "Please."

"I have a feeling this has something to do with Bond," the woman muttered, sighing. "You know where I live and you are welcomed." Q smiled even though she could not see him.

"Thank you. I am in a cab so I'll get there in about five minutes." For her part, M pictured Q in front of herself and glared hard at him. "The bloody bastard already rubbed off on you, what with you assuming that you were welcomed even before I said so."

"No comments." Q laughed and M could swear he was sniffling. He ended the call and looked at the screen. James stole his phone one evening and managed to take a picture of them both. Q narrowed his eyes. He could see imperfections in his own make up and could see how his hair had grown through out the day. Why couldn't he just be normal, like everyone else?

"Sir, we've arrived." The cab driver said. Q tapped his card towards the card reader and grabbed his bag only then noticing he left his main make up bag at James' place and he groaned.

"I was sure I hired a human and not a dog," M said from outside the car, tapping her foot until Q got out. "Will I need a new 007 after our conversation?" Q laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I would appreciate it if you'd let him live." Narrowing her eyes even more, M locked the door behind them and pushed a small bag in Q's hands.

"The best of the best. I know you won't be happy until you retouched yourself."

Q just nodded at her, grabbed the bag and sneaked into the bathroom. M always wondered how it had come to this when Quartermaster of MI6 always leaned on her shoulder when he wanted to talk or just cry. She'd never admit it but the first time he came to her, she was shocked. The man was crying and it looked like his face was flowing into the napkins, he's been using to wipe his tears away with.

"I'm guessing you'll want a drink or maybe a couch to sleep on would be better?" She was used to seeing his hair brown so she was surprised to see a nest of fluffy as down hair show up at her bathroom entrance. Of course Q took it to himself to interpret it wrong.

"I'd appreciate but I can leave. I can actually leave now. This was stupid idea..."

The woman flicked his nose. "Don't you put me in the same pot as the others. Now march your arse in the living room, sit it down on the sofa and ask away.”

 Now fully red in the face, Q did as asked, embarrassed to the core for insulting M in such a way. "It is a very odd thing that I wish to ask you."

The head of MI6 just motioned with her hand while she poured them both two fingers of whisky before joining him on the couch. "I’m sure there is nothing more odd to tell or ask than the “M, I'm albino." That confession took the cake as the most odd one. I almost choked on my tea." She patted his knee and then added. "All joking aside, Q, you know you can trust me in all matters that concern you." She smiled at him reassuringly.

"I want to sleep with James," Q said in one breath. M, of course, choked on her whisky.

"Can I beg you to reconsider? Are you sure? You know that once to make that step, if it goes wrong, your jobs will be comprised, right?" Q was well aware of that and he had come to the woman hoping that she would assist with making the right decision and put his fears to rest. And then there was his virginity.

"He would also be my first," he said in a whisper. "I... Would he be bothered...?" M glanced at her glass. "This is not strong enough for this conversation."

"I'm sorry, I'll just shut up. This was bad idea all over." Q muttered into his glass and then gulped half of it down. Strong drink hit his throat and he almost teared up. "What is this... thing?"

"25 years old whisky, but apparently for matter this serious I should have brought the 40 year old." M stood up and Q could actually see her having some troubles walking. She was an old woman after all.

"I should have thought better before imposing-"

"Well, the deed is done so no need to fret over this." She placed her glass down and pulled a rather dusty bottle from the drinking cabinet. "But I am not sure I can help you, Q. Your questions... You're the only one who knows the answers."

Q frowned, sighing. "I want to."

"Then go for it."

"But what if he..." Q started. "What if he doesn't like me enough?"

"Q, I think it's a bit too late to think about that." M put another glass in Q's trembling hand. "Besides, Bond usually never sticks to one person longer than a month, and it's been what, 5 months already? Also, do you want to tell me that in all these months you haven't had sex with the Casanova of MI6?"

Q nodded, blushing. "I... He would be the first," he muttered and finished the glass in one go. "Oh God, he'll dump me mid-coitus, either because he'll finally see me or because I won't let him stick it in fast enough." M glanced at her glass and then took a swing directly out of the bottle. "I'm not having THE TALK with the virgin Quartermaster who wants to lose it with the MI6 Casanova."

"But I have NO ONE else to talk to!" Q looked at her with fear in his eyes. M took the bottle to the couch and sat next to Q.

"Quartermaster, my only advice is that you should have this talk with the man who interests you before you decide to do the deed." She took another swing and offered Q the bottle.

Q just shook his head. "I know that, it's just that I wanted to talk to someone intelligent." He fidgeted with the edge of his cardigan.

"I am glad you see me intelligent enough to match your genius." M smiled at him. "But it is late and I have to meet MP tomorrow, pity the old woman."

Q nodded again. "I'll take up the couch, if the offer still stands."

M shrugged. "As long as your boyfriend doesn't join us and you two decide to do the deed," M said as if it was the most normal thing in the world. "I'll bring you a pillow and a blanket," she added, patting the groaning man's head. Q thought he was going to have a hard time falling asleep, but the second the woman was done tucking him in, he was out like a light, completely oblivious to the slightly panicked agent that was driving towards M's apartment, also searching for answers.

M closed the sliding doors to the living room. She installed it after Bond and sometimes Q had a sleepover. She started climbing the stairs when she heard a distinct knock on the doors. The woman cringed. Only one man ever knocked on her doors. She descended the few steps down and unlocked the doors. 'Right on all accounts.' She thought to herself. Bond looked terrible.

"I rarely say this," he started before M could open her mouth, "but I need your help."

M snorted. "I'll mark this day down in the calendar."

"I'm serious."

"So am I." She stepped to the side, letting James enter. "Does this have anything to do with the Quartermaster?"

"How do you know?" James looked confused and nervous.

"Just keep your voice down, he's sleeping." M motioned the man inside. She's never seen the man so lost and confused.

"Sleeping? You mean to say he's here?" Bond looked even more confused and M took pity on him.

"Just never, and I mean NEVER mention it to him, that you've seen him as he is." M hissed at him and opened the sliding doors just a bit.

She watched his face carefully, looking for any signs of disgust, but the man looked relieved - and in love.

"He left my apartment so fast that I thought I had chased him away," he whispered. "I wish he'd let me see him like this."

"He's afraid," M deadpanned.

James sighed. "I know, but..." He trailed off, trying to get a closer look without going in. "He looks like a statue."

"That's how he looks like without all the make up, Bond." She looked at him, ready to drag him by his ear, double oh agent or not.

"He's so beautiful." The other man whispered.

"Come along now, if you wanted to talk, we'll talk in the kitchen as you can see the living room is occupied."

James looked at Q one more time before he carefully closed the doors and followed M in the kitchen. "Can I get a glass of--"

"Water and you'll enjoy it," she cut him off, glaring. "So what are your questions."

Bond scratched the back of his neck and looked confusedly at M when she offered him a glass of water.

"What's this?"

"Your glass of water as all whisky is with your darling Quartermaster who's sleeping soundly in the living room. Now ask away, I don't have all night to waste. Some people do actually sleep." She glared at him and was glad to see how the blonde man squirmed under her glare.

"How long do you think..."

"If you also ask about sex I swear to god I'm sending you to psych!"

"Did Q want to talk about it as well? What did he ask? What did he say? If he doesn't want to do that, I can carry on wanking-"

"He's a virgin," M said quickly just to get James to stop talking about his private time. "The rest, you'll need to discuss with him, although it would be easier if you lost your eyesight."

"Why would he want that?" Bond looked as if contemplating the idea. "I didn't think he'd be into BDSM, I think..."

"BOND!" M screamed and then cringed when she remembered Q sleeping just next room. "I swear to god, I will never understand what he sees in you. You're so daft sometimes, god help us all how are you the best of Her Majesty's finest?"

A look of sadness crossed James' face. "You're probably right, that might be the reason why he doesn't want to sleep with me. I'm too old."

"Good grief!" M wanted to hit this man now. "Do I have to spell it out for you? I guess I have to if I want you both to stop coming into my home at the middle of the night and to keep MI6 from collapsing. I'm certain he wouldn't want you to see him naked.... I can not believe I'm talking about this, it must be some kind of horrible nightmare." She muttered the last sentence to herself. "He is very self conscious and would probably think his naked body can disgust you, but from what I'm seeing you're as besotted with him as he is with you."

James looked like he was in pain. "Can you help me prove to him that I am not?" M rolled her eyes, really regretting that she had left the alcohol with Q.

"You know that I can't. This is between you and him. Oh and if it comes to choosing between the two of you because the relationship ends in a horrible way, I'll transfer you to MI5."

He would do his best for that not to happen. "He let's you see him how he really is." The woman shrugged.

"What can I say? Maybe he thinks me too old to have good eyesight anymore." She got up and finished James' water for him. "I have no free room for you under this roof."

James nodded at her getting up as well. They could hear shuffling in the living room and James suddenly pressed flatly behind the kitchen doors as Q suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"M... I thought I heard voices." Q was rubbing at one of his eyes.

"Yes, it was me, muttering to myself." M lied through her teeth. "I'm heading back to bed and so should you."

"I can't fall asleep, James is not letting me sleep in peace. What if he..." he shut up when the old woman put a finger on his lips.

"Silly boy, if that agent ever lets a hair fall off your pretty fluffy head, he's being transferred to MI5."

 "But..."

"No buts, let's go to sleep now." She gently pushed the unresisting Quartermaster through the door while still glaring at the spot where she knew James was and saw her.

"I was sure I heard James," Q continued to murmur as he allowed himself to get guided back to the living room.

"You were dreaming," M said reassuringly, waiting for Q to lie down on the sofa so she could tuck him in - she was going to visit her nieces and nephews as soon as she had time off. "Just go back to sleep and you'll keep on hearing him."

Q grabbed his phone. "I should text him to let him know that I am okay." He unlocked it, but then stopped. "Unless he's asleep because he doesn't care and I'll wake him up. I should ask him to sleep around; I know he gets aroused-"

"I really don't want to hear this."

She closed the doors again and then felt a presence behind her. "I think you've heard enough to let your fears be soothed."

"I don't say this enough, but thank you." James whispered. "Thank you." He went towards the outside doors.

 M saw him longingly looking at the living doors and sighed. She hoped they will resolve their issues before sexual tension can become palpable. James closed the doors and heard a quiet beep from his phone.

It was a simple text from Q - 'I'm safe. Sorry to run out on you like that. I miss you.' - but to him, it was the world so a stupid smile spread on his lips as he typed out his reply.

'I miss you to. Let me know if you want me to drive you to work tomorrow.' It took him about ten tries before he got the right text and by then, M was tapping her foot.

"Don't keep him up all night and don't you dare initialize phone sex while he's on my sofa."

"I promise I won't. Good night, M." He nodded at the woman and left. He heard another beep of his phone and grinned. He swore to gods he was becoming a loon, smiling at his phone like all these teens. 'I'm staying at a friend and will take a train tomorrow but if you want we can have lunch. I'm taking half of the day off as there are things I want to talk about something to you.' James felt he knew what Q wanted to talk to him and he swore to himself he'll do all it takes to have the man trust him enough to open up to him.

'I'll be happy to have lunch with you.' He hit send before he could change his mind.

He was disappointed when his phone didn't beep again, but meant that Q was getting his rest, so all was good - though he was tempted to send him a picture of himself, half-naked in bed, saying that he wished he was there, but didn't. He didn't go to sleep right away because he had to be sure that he was more than presentable to Q. He reshaped himself - thought about fully shaving, but he didn't want Q to accuse him of anything should they get naked by some miracle - and then dug around for his best suit. By the time he found the perfect suit, the sun was starting to rise.

He decided to have a nap. He wanted to look refreshed and not dozing off every moment or so. He got the suit laid out and even the cufflinks and aftershave ready and then got under covers, just as the sun started shining in the window.

***

 Q was getting antsy, he offers James to have lunch with him and now he was having doubts. He had a spare set of clothing at the Q branch but he was sure the other man, who had a day off that day but still offered to drive him to work, would outdo himself and will dress to the nines, while he still looked like well, himself. 'At least my make up is in pristine condition.' He thought to himself.

"If the Quartermaster starts chewing his nails again," R started to say without looking up from her own project, "then his right hand woman will pinch his side."

"I'm meeting James," he said as if that explained everything - and it usually did, even though he had sort of abandoned that nervous habit after they had went out for the third time in a row. "Do I look decent?"

"He'll shag you nine ways to Sunday," the woman answered automatically without looking up. "But your tie is crooked." She could be really scary.

“Can you arrange it for me?"

"And rob Bond out of doing it and feel his glare in the back of my neck for the next two months like the last time?" She snorted, shaking her head. "Plus, he just walked in and his on his way down."

Q was having a sip of his tea just at that moment and he almost chocked on it.

"Do not worry if you appear as a regular human being who's drinking tea like every Brit is." R smiled at him. "I wish you a pleasant afternoon and ever amazing evening." She looked behind him and whistled loudly. "And boy it looks it's going to be a glorious one."

"R." Bond greeted her calmly. This woman, god this woman was a force of nature by herself.

"Bond." She replied back just as calmly. "I'm leaving Quartermaster in your care. On the behalf of MI6 and Queen and the country... And also M, we'd like you to keep him sound and safe and content." She looked James dead in the eye, collected her laptops, she had been working on 3, and left them alone in Q's office.

Q fidgeted with his tie. "R has said my tie is crooked." He looked hopefully at Bond as if asking the silent question.

"Let me fix it for you?" James asked, coming closer to the man.

Q moved closer still and put James' hands on his tie. "I will learn how to do this."

"I hope you don't," James muttered, taking his time arranging the tie correctly. "I like it when I am this close and when you let me help you." Q blushed, turning his head slightly to the right. He'd have to spend extra time redoing his make up if... Well, or maybe not. Tonight will decide if they'll still be this close.

James pecked him on the lips after he was done and marvelled how Q blushed even more. "Are you ready now, Quartermaster, to leave MI6 standing for the duration of a long weekend?" He smirked when he heard minions scurry away from the opened doors into Q's cluttered office.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Q grabbed his three bags, James noted. He only ever carried two, his raised eyebrow made Q almost trip on his two feet. "I was thinking that maybe a sleepover..." He shook his head. He was pathetic at this. "I meant to say..."

"I'd be delighted." James finished for him and leaned in to kiss him once more again.

"I... I hope you really are," he muttered before accepting the kiss, his heart in his throat. James wrapped his arms around him and hugged him tightly after the kiss ended.

"You worry too much; we'll have the time of our lives if we're together," he said reassuringly.

"If you still think that later..." Q muttered. He grabbed James by his hand because by now everyone knew they were seeing each other and dragged the unresisting man out. "R, look after Q branch." He shouted just before the lift's sliding doors closed and R could see James leaning in to kiss Q.

***

It was obvious by the way he was stabbing his food and playing around the plate with it that Q was nervous. He was also bouncing his feet under the table, biting his nails when he thought that James couldn't see him.

"Should I ask the waiter to bring us the check and pack everything for us?" James asked, already looking around for the waiter. Getting a table at this restaurant on such a short notice hadn't been exactly easy, but if Q wasn't feeling it, leaving went without saying.

Q shook his head and took a deep breath. He had to tell James about himself before they went to James' place and the man started to disrobe him.

"It's not that. The food is delicious." Q tried to smile but he was sure it came out as a nervous grimace.

"By the look how you're stabbing the poor duck with your fork it looks like it's killed your cat." James tried to joke but got serious at Q's pained expression. He took a sip of wine and prepared to wait till the man got ready to speak his mind.

"I'm a virgin." Q hissed quietly and James started to choke on his drink.

He didn't fake the choke either. M had dropped the bomb on him the day before, but hearing it coming out of Q's mouth was still a gut puncher.

"I don't know what to say to that, but if you thought I was going to laugh you out of my life, you were wrong.”

"You'll kick me out of your bed long before you take that title away," Q muttered, emptying his glass of wine in one go. "This was a mistake."

James felt himself freeze. "I admit to making many mistakes, but never when it came to you."

"Really?" Q looked up hopefully at James. "Even if I am a stuttering fool when it comes to the matter of the bed." He gestured vaguely at himself. James grabbed Q's hand before he started fidgeting with his tie.

"Trust me, Quartermaster, when I say that I am interested in you, and I want to pursue your affections for longer than a night in the bedsheets as you should have realised by now." The waiter came to their table.

"Anything for a dessert, sirs?"

James had something planned for dessert, but he had to wait. "Q? Do you want anything?" Frowning, Q turned to look at the menu.

"Something with a lot of whipped cream," he muttered, unaware of how tight James' pants had become. "Can you bring me something like that?" The waiter nodded and then turned to James.

"And you, sir?"

"Just a glass with a bit of water and lots of ice cream."

Q looked at James frowning. "Are you ok?"

"I'm perfectly fine." James lied through his teeth. Q nodded then then, absentmindedly, unaware of James' dilemma. The waiter brought Q's dessert. It was a tall monstrosity with two cookie cylinders.

"This is much bigger than I thought it would be," Q whispered, smiling as he took one of the cylinders, made sure it was covered in cream and then slowly started to lick it. "Are you sure you don't want any?" Q asked, holding the stick to James' face. This was punishment for something and James just wanted that bloody glass of cold water as soon as possible.

"No, no. Enjoy it!" James grabbed the water before waiter put it on the table. While Q was oblivious of the torment he put James the other man actually came to enjoy the way boffin's lips wrapped around the long dessert spoon.

And then he heard Q let out a little moan and he jumped up.

"I'm going to excuse myself for a moment," he uttered and made a beeline towards the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face. He should have had a wank before leaving. It probably made the tightness in his pants a bit more bearable.

There suddenly was a knock and he could hear Q's worried voice on the other side. "James, are you alright?" The blonde unlocked the doors, grabbed Q by the hand and pulled him right in before shoving the doors close just in front of an old man's nose. He pressed the boffin into the wood behind him and kissed him deeply.

"Even hearing you eat makes me weak in the knees." He whispered between heated kisses.

It was a bit hard for Q to find enough strength in himself to remember where he was and what they were about to do, but when he did, he looked insulted. "I'll stop eating in front of you."

"No, no, Q, it just means I'll have to get better at self control and you know how I am with that." James touched their foreheads together and looked Q in the eye. Up that close he could see that Q was wearing contacts.

"If you're sure?" Q looked uncertain.

"Definitely sure. Can I get another kiss before we leave?" James smirked how Q puckered his lips and closed his eyes as if it explained it all.

"But of course, let me indulge then."

The glare they got from the old man when the door was opened had Q duck his head and move closer to James, as if afraid that the look would hurt him. Not that James didn't return the glare and even flashed the man his teeth, asking him without using words if he would actually dare to tell them something - and also that he wasn't that fast. Once seated back at the table, Q pushed the remaining half of his dessert away, James gently pushing it back under his nose.

"Don't stop doing something you like on my account."

"I'm honestly full," Q explained, dipping a finger in the remaining whipped cream and then slowly licking it off to prove his point.

"Check, please!" James hissed at the waiter who's been passing by their table.

"Yes, sir, right away." The man left at once.

"Are you in a hurry, James?" Q dipped his finger in the whipped cream again.

"Yes," James hissed. "You enjoy teasing me, aren't you, minx?"

Q shrugged. "How am I teasing you?" He asked, a devious smile spreading on his lips. "I am simply trying to finish what is left of this." Promises of screwing him until he forgot his own name or until he could no longer feel anything but pleasure were on the tip of his tongue, but James held back. If he looked really close, he could see a bit of fear in the fake green eyes and he imagined how hard and fast Q's heart was beating while acting so bold.

"You know perfectly well how," he muttered, licking his lips, throwing two fifty quid over the bill that was placed before them on a silver platter without checking.

"Keep the change, we're leaving." He grabbed Q's hand, he's been giggling like mad.

"Have a lovely evening, sirs." The man nodded at them with a smirk.

"Where's the fire, James?" Q barely managed to grab his bags before they left, James grabbed their coats and they manoeuvred from the tables into the busy street. "Where off to now?" Q asked, wrapping James' blue scarf around his throat.

"Home. I had enough of your teasing." James smirked at the boffin.

Q's smile wavered just a fraction of a moment.

"We'll go as slow as you want and as far as you want," James whispered in his ear reassuringly, rubbing his hands up and down his arms. "Don't force yourself if you don't want to do it; my hand is a decent companion."

Without meaning to, Q laughed, quickly biting his lower lip in an attempt to go back to being serious. "Don't think me ungrateful-"

"No reason for you to be grateful," James interrupted him. "In a relationship, this step needs to be something both parties want. So what if I wank while picturing that it is your hand? Or that you are the one that I am riding, your whimpers of pleasure turning into load groans until they are nothing but screams and begs for more?"

They got into the car, James being the perfect gentleman and guiding Q to his side first and then got on himself. Q waited till they were in the privacy of their car before looking at James with wide eyes and asking.

"Would you... would you really enjoy it?" When James looked quizzically at him, Q added. "Being the one getting it..." he blushed. "Up his ass... I've been told…" James shushed him with a kiss.

"If they told you the first time must be painful, they were full of shit liars." James kissed him again. "If all done right, it is all kinds of amazing and it makes your toes curl at how too much and not enough it is at the same time."

Q clutched the seat belt tightly. "I don't know how to do anything," he breathed out, now shaking. "This is a mistake." He clutched James' hand. "Look, I'm sorry."

"Q, darling, relax--"

"No, no, I'm sorry," Q interrupted him, covering his mouth. "Let's just stick to cuddling and kissing because I can't. I don't know how. You can go out and sleep with others and I promise that I won't mind. I'll do my best not to mind."

James suddenly stopped the car, Q almost lunging forward but being saved by the belt and putting the hazard lights on. He looked Q dead in his green eyes and smiled. Q almost looked relieved. Now James was going to say that he's gladly accepting this offer and Q could crawl into his hole and hide till the end of the world, he was that hopeless and useless.

"Or, if you'd like to," James stared. "I can do you instead. I don't mind either." He looked at Q worriedly. "If you don't want to do that, I can do all the fun bits to your body while you just lie on your back and try to think in binary. I want to see you fail." He leaned in to Q. "So which one's it going to be?"

Q leaned closer to James without realizing it, his eyes fluttering shut. "I want to..."

"Tell me, Q, and that is what we'll do." James encouraged him, cupping his chin and tilting his head back, planting butterfly kisses down his neck. "I'll do you, you'll do me, we'll do each other and lose ourselves in pleasure." That made Q shiver, his arms wrapping around James' neck.

"You wanted me to do--"

"Darling, I also fantasize about having you ten ways to Sunday," James interrupted him.

"I'd like to have you if you swear to me it won't hurt you!" Q managed to mumble out and then covered his face in his hands, blushing that pretty shade of pink and that made James' heart swell. "I'm sorry for being such an idiot, you must think..."

"Darling Q, I think you're too precious for old warship like me, but we can't choose who we fall in love with!" James pulled the gearshift in action and Q felt the car move. "Let's go home now." Q nodded. He didn't realise when he started considering James' flat in Notting Hill as home but that was what it was.

He got cold feet again when he saw the front door, but James squeezed his hand and smiled reassuringly.

"You won't hurt-"

"I have to take off my makeup," Q blurred out, worrying his lower lip. "I'll understand if you won't get it up after you see me."

James wanted to say that he'd already seen him naked but he didn't want to put Q's trust in M to risk.

"I'm sure I will get it up just fine." James smiled.

Q looked away, toying with the edges of his sleeve. "The light has to be off." James nodded. "No candles either and the drapes have to be shut." James nodded again. "Also, if you do feel the need to vomit-"

"Q, darling, that will never happen," James interrupted him, taking his hands in his. "I am sure that you'll be my metaphorical viagra."

Q just nodded, shivering with nervousness already. James unlocked the doors and put the lights on. "I won't turn the lights on at all, so you'd feel more relaxed. The bathroom is to the right, just next doors to the bedroom." He smiled when Q made a bee line to the bathroom with his bag. "I'll come to the bedroom when I'll be ready. Could you please draw the curtains?" Q looked unsure.

"Before I start to do that..." James walked to his bedroom and came out with a bathrobe which he handed to Q. "I didn't mean to presume, but I just thought that it was time for you to get one that's yours and that doesn't make you sigh in frustration every time you feel you drown in it," he said, pointing at the golden 'Q' on it. "I'll start to draw all the curtains. Do you want me to wait for you in the bedroom and leave the lights that lead to it on, or just shut all of them off?"

"Leave them on." Q muttered. "But shut them in the bedroom. I'll be with you... quickly." Q added quietly. James just nodded at him and retreated to the bedroom, leaving Q in the clutching the bag. "You can do this, Q. You can do this. Just like rearranging a bomb, in and out!"

James had intended to have lights lit up all around the bedroom - he had done this so many times that he could put them in the safe places with his eyes closed - but held back since Q requested total darkness. He did bring in the cold champagne and two glasses, playing a little with his tie and thinking about asking Q to blindfold him if it would make him feel better - of course, if he did that, Q would take it the wrong way and more drama would ensure, coupled together with Q's already very low self-esteem when it came to his looks. So no blindfold.

Q on the other hand was in the bathroom. He gripped the sink tightly.

"Get a grip of yourself, Nathan. Nothing will happen anyway, he'll see you and he'll be disgusted with you and it'll be over. Then you can come back to your cat and cry yourself to sleep. You have all weekend to cry your eyes out." Q looked down at the bathrobe James had given him a moss green bathrobe. Just as his eyes.

Or, as he would like his eyes to be. Well, James had seen one of his red eyes, might as well let him see both and compare him to an abomination. Normally, taking the contact lenses out was easy, done in less than ten seconds for each eye, but as he was under a lot of stress, it ended up taking him ten minutes and he looked like he was crying when he finally stepped out - not that he was far from doing just that.

He looked at his hands in the harsh light. James is surely going to ask him to leave. The bedroom doors were ajar as if inviting him in and he could see darkness coming from within, asking him to come in. James was lying on the bed, he was just in his pants, lying under covers. He could see Q standing in the doorway. Slowly, he stood up and went to the young man, standing there and hugging himself.

"Q?"

"Please don't look at me!"

James closed his eyes and felt around for Q before wrapping himself around. "Darling, I understand that it's hard for you, but please believe me that you being whiter than usual won't disgust me." He planted little kisses on his cheeks. "Can I please look at you and adore you?"

"If you so wish to. I won't blame you if you kick me afterwards." He heard Q whisper and tense up when he moved away just a bit to look at the man.

"Q..." James whispered. "Your eyes..." before he could continue, the other man interrupted him.

"They're not green as you might have figured by now. The bathrobe was a lovely hint to my eyes but that's just the colour of my contacts. I can leave now and I promise to return the robe after cleaning it. I'm so sorry." He hung up his head and felt tears flooding his eyes. So much for losing his virginity.

"Q, have you been crying?" James whispered instead, also afraid to break the silence.

"Not yet," Q admitted, voice shaking. "I won't cause a scene," he assured James as the other carefully wiped the tears under Q's eyes, placing a kiss on his marble white nose. "Oh, my hands were shaky..."

"My darling," James breathed out and continued to place soft kisses on his cheeks. "And I am sorry," Q's heart dropped in his stomach even more, "but I am not kicking you out. I am not disgusted and your robe will remain yours."

"You can barely see me." He wanted to argue more but the older man was guiding him towards the bed and he tensed again. "James..." he looked at the outline of the bed and felt the man untying the belt of the bathrobe. "James," he tried again. "I'm certain I won't be able get it up, as you yourself had said." His heart was in his throat, trying to escape his body.

"Q, I'm not asking you to have sex with me. I just want you in the same bed as I. The emotional rollercoaster probably left you drained. Come, let's go to bed and just snuggle." James offered with a smile but he was sure the other man couldn't see him.

"Snuggle?"

"I know what that word means," James said, chuckling. "We could snuggle completely naked, or you can slip into your pyjamas although I do have to apologise if you dislike the smell; they hired someone new to do the laundry and they did not get the note about what softener is usually used on my batch."

Distracted for a moment, Q pouted. He quite liked the soft smell of the sea that came with his washed clothes at James' apartment.

"We'll wake up when the sun is out."

"So? Do you really think I'll kick you out?" James took a few steps away from Q and, still holding his hand, slowly twirled him, licking his lips as the sight before him. "Let's say I ate enough carrots to see well enough in the dark and know how beautiful you are." Q hoped that he couldn't see him blush, although his state didn't really let him do that, if he were honest.

"Still, I'll take the clothes." He climbed in the bed, on his side and the smell of jasmine tipped him off that his pyjamas were being placed next to him. "Ah, I did not mention that I accidentally used your cup for coffee this morning."

"Well, I guess we'll just have to use yours or forego coffee and eat breakfast in one of those terrible Starbucks places!" James sat on his side of the bed and turned to Q, who was now clutching his pyjamas. "Or we can lounge in bed and order in." Q laughed while putting on his trousers.

"James, you can not order take away breakfast." He stood up and pulled on the pyjama shirt, quickly buttoning it up to his neck.

"Leave a couple of buttons free?" James offered. Q looked dubious for a second but then smiled.

"Alright then."

James wasted no time tugging Q closer and attaching his lips to the exposed neck. "And I so can order breakfast, darling." He lowered Q under him, running his hand through his hair as he looked in his red eyes. "I can order the whole world if you ask me," he muttered, cupping Q's face when the man tried to turn away from him. "Please don't hide from me."

"It's a bit stressful," Q admitted. "It's not used to anyone looking at me when I am like this and not being related."

"Well, I think then we'll have to get related!" James winked at him and Q gasped in surprise.

"What are you talking about?" He looked at the other man with narrowed eyes.

"Nothing, nothing... yet. I can assure you I'm not your cousin nor long lost brother." James hugged him tight to his chest and breathed in deeply in his hair. "Can I ask you a favour?”

"What is it?" Q tensed in his arms again.

"Could you stop dying your hair?" James blurted out and then wanted to hit his head into a wall.

Q relaxed, sighing. "I don't like my white hair. People stare at it, stare at me."

"You're a beautiful silver fox, Q," James whispered reassuringly, running his hands through his hair again. "But I understand, so I will not insist."

"If we ever go on holiday," Q started, James feeling him start to tense yet again, curling his toes and visibly holding back from curling in on himself, "which I am not saying that we have to, but if we do and it is just the two of us, I'll let it be white."

"Of course we could go on holiday." James could barely hold his grin away from splitting his face in two. "Let's worry about that later but I will definitely want to see you in your natural hair colour, holiday or not." The older man made note to ask Moneypenny what it takes for the Quartermaster of MI6 to go on holidays for more than a few days. "Let us sleep now and worry about this later."

They were both silent for few minutes and James thought Q was feigning sleep when he heard the other man whisper quietly, almost to himself. "Why aren't you disgusted by me?"

"Because I have no reason to, darling," he whispered against his neck, lips brushing his skin every time he spoke. "You are perfection in my eyes and if we were in Ancient Greece, I am sure that I would have bad to battle quite a lot of people to get you."

Q snorted, turning in James' arms to tap his nose. "I am pretty sure I would have been left outside the city's gates the second I came out of my mother, with how I look. The statues you are hinting at look like you, and they were coloured." He snuggled closer to James, hiding his head in his neck when he could no longer take the eyes on him. "No matter the time period you put me in, I don't belong."

"Well, I'm sure you belong in this period just fine." James snuggled him close. "Sleep now and don't worry that I'll see you how nature has created you in the morning. I'm sure you'll be still as dashing as ever. Or even more so without those ridiculous looking cardigans." Q just laughed in reply and finally relaxed in James' embrace.

"You like my cardigans," Q muttered, half asleep. "Don't think I hadn't noticed that my favourite one is all stretched out."

James chuckled, gently massaging his neck. "And don't think I don't know you like to sleep in my shirts when I am away on missions." His smell clung to them and whenever James put them on, he instantly relaxed - he would never mention that some of them have make up on because he didn't want Q to stop. "Or that your darling cat does that when we're both away."

***

Q opened his eyes. It took him a moment or two to realise where he was as this wasn't his bed nor his darling was trying to mew its head off in hunger. He could hear James talking to someone in the living room. No, at the entrance to the flat. "Thank you for the delivery. Keep the change..." James said something else but Q dug deeper into the pillow and groaned.

Was he really surprised that James had ordered breakfast? No, not really. Was he complaining about that? Again, no. Did he have to be so loud? Okay, so maybe he wasn't loud and it was just his sensitive hearing that picked up everything, but how he wished he could go back to sleep.

"I see you frowning and scrunching up your face, darling," James murmured in his ear, slowly dragging his nails up his spine. "Also, you suddenly decided that it was too hot last night, took off your shirt, and turned into an octopus, which I am not complaining about, so I think you should always leave those few buttons unbuttoned."

Q turned on his back to look at James through hooded eyes and smiled. The other man was holding a tray with food and looking down at him.

"And you still want to look at me?"

"I've told you I'll never tire of looking at you." James put the tray on the bedside table and sat on the bed. "Now let's kiss." He leaned in and kissed Q fully on the lips. Q moaned deeply. James really knew how to seduce someone.

"You cheat," Q accused him, nipping his lower lip. "You brushed your teeth."

"First time someone complains about that," James murmured back, running his hands down Q's exposed chest. "I can go chew some cheese if you dislike the smell-" Q shut him up with a kiss, pinching his backside when he felt that things were going too far. It was morning and he was healthy - minus his lack of colour - so things were already hard, James making everything worse with how he was grinding.

"Don't shy away from me, please." James pressed even closer to Q and now the young man could feel that the other man was hard as well. "I plan on making us both come this lovely morning."

"James... I have never..." Q started.

"Yes, I've gathered that. We'll work on that as we go." James kissed him deeply again and a moment later you could hear laughing heartily.

***

Q was hidden in James' chest, although he was fully relaxed and he was drawing little circles on the man’s chest. James was playing with Q's hair, his other hand tucked under his head.

"You're good," he said honestly. Q snorted, refusing to look up.

"You're too much of a gentleman to tell me otherwise."

"But it's true." James whispered, still caressing Q's lower back, paying special attention to the dips.

Q just shook his head. "It is not." James just hugged the young man close to himself.

"I'll prove you wrong," James promised, kissing his back. "I'll tell you that until you believe me and if I have to tell you until the day my hair turns white, I won't mind."

Q chuckled, turning to wrap his arms around James. "You had the freak between your sheets; you had him a quivering mess, you had his cherry, you will lose interest."

James frowned. "Stop calling yourself that. I've told you, I'm in for a long run. As long as you'd have me, even." He hugged the man tight. Q just nodded, understanding that he won't win the argument, but he knew better, James will get bored and he will be alone again.

James flicked his nose. "I'll do that every time your mind wanders to that place. You should really stop being so pessimistic, darling. Risk a bit; I love you, why can't you believe me when I tell you that?" Now he was starting to get frustrated. "What do you want me to do to make you believe me? Tell me and I'll do it."

"Nothing, I am just not used to... to all of this. Someone not cringing when they see me how I am." Q pressed his ear to James' chest to listen to his beating heart. "Well, you should get used to this because I'm going to spoil you rotten."

 


End file.
